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Who'll watch it? Prasar Bharati CEO recalls reactions before Ramayan re-run

Ramayan's four episodes a day format was based on the assumption of a 15-day lockdown

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Doordarshan viewership numbers are already reflecting the shift away from binge-watching spikes

IANS New York

5 min read Last Updated : May 23 2020 | 6:54 PM IST

Ramanand Sagar's popular TV serial 'Ramayan' which re-aired on Doordarshan, became the world's most-watched show on April 16 with 77 million viewers.

Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, credited with presiding over the most-watched TV show in history -- "the 'Ramayan' re-run on Doordarshan which has racked up more than 250 million unique views" -- recalls his WhatsApp groups ringing with laughter when news of nostalgia programming hit the headlines soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the first lockdown in late March.

"They're all, like, laughing. Who's going to watch it?! I had to tell them that, you know,

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